Purple and Black
by BloodRavenFan
Summary: Kiritsugu saves two children from the ashes of the Fourth Holy Grail War. The elder will inherit his dream, while the younger inherits his iron fury. Rated M for language.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

Purple and Black

Chapter 1: Homecoming

The city burned. Everything burned, whether it was stone, metal, wood, even flesh and bone. They all burned. A pair of children walked through the flames, one driven by a primal desire to survive, the other driven by a desire to escape an even worse fate. They trudged through the burning ruins, their clothes and flesh alike singed by the heat, ignoring the cries of pain and the pleas for help coming from around them.

But just as all good things must come to an end, bad things too must come to an end. Towards daybreak, the flames began to die down, and as the sky wept they finally died. A redheaded boy finally stopped walking as well, and slowly collapsed to the ground. Almost after he fell with a muddy splash on the ground, he heard another body fall and he looked to the side to spot a girl with purple hair that had also collapsed onto the ground a good distance away. "_…I wasn't…alone…?_" he thought to himself as darkness began to creep over his sight.

Kiritsugu Emiya slowly walked up to the boy he had seen collapse. Kneeling down by his side, his arrival aroused the child briefly. "…a girl…" he managed to whisper before falling unconscious again. Looking at the direction indicated, Kiritsugu spotted the other child. First things first; he ran a brief check on the boy beside him and discovered that it wouldn't be long before he would pass on, even with prompt medical help. So he did the only thing he could do: he implanted Avalon into the child, and watched as his body stabilized immediately. It wasn't a perfect cure, as Avalon still needed time to completely heal the boy's body but at least now he wouldn't die before he could be taken to a hospital.

Tucking the child under an arm, Kiritsugu immediately rushed over to where the girl was lying on the ground. If her injuries were as severe as the boy's, then there would be nothing he could do apart from keeping her company in her last moments. Still, after what he had seen, then he would take comfort in the idea of not letting her leave the world alone and forlorn. As he examined her, he sighed with relief…and narrowed his eyes in displeasure. The good news was that the girl's injuries weren't life threatening, unless she didn't receive medical assistance for too long. The bad news was that her body was messed up by something, and considering the unusual colour of her hair, he suspected he knew what it was…and he'd be damned if he'd let it continue. Angra Mainyu may have cursed him, but he had rejected the evil of the world, and now, he had the perfect chance to mitigate at least one of the many evils it represented. Tucking the girl under another arm, Kiritsugu Emiya now made his way to the nearest emergency centre.

* * *

Kiritsugu Emiya looked on as Sakura and Shiro Emiya played together in the yard. It had been four years since he'd saved the two of them from the fiery legacy of the Fourth Holy Grail War, but the thought that he had saved them but failed even before trying to save his blood daughter sent a wave of regret through him. And it wasn't like Sakura was completely safe. Over the past four years Zouken Matou had stalked the city searching for her, and only luck and the bounded fields around the Emiya Estate had protected her from falling into his hands again.

Kiritsugu sighed as he considered the similarities and differences between his step-children. Both were cheerful and confident (though it had taken a while for Sakura to emerge from her emotional shell), but Shiro was idealistic and wholeheartedly believed in Kiritsugu's dream of being a 'Hero of Justice'. Sakura on the other hand, did not. Considering her past experiences, it was understandable that the younger of the two had lost faith in the concept of justice, and for her a hero was simply someone who was looked upon with either overwhelming awe or fear. Kiritsugu was both in her eyes; awe as he had saved her from both her family and from the ruins of the great fire, and fear because in doing so he had probably failed to save others who might have been saved.

Another similarity between the step-siblings was their unusual colouring. Shiro had red hair, unusual for a Japanese, and while Sakura's black hair was natural, the shimmering streaks of purple were not, nor the purple iris of her left eye. Kiritsugu had done all he could to repair the magical damage to her body, but couldn't completely reverse the physical changes before his collapsing circuits rendered all forms of higher-level magic impossible to use.

Kiritsugu knew he would not last much longer. At the very least he had another six months before he died, and the most optimistic four years. But even then, without the ability to teach either of his step-children high-level magic (much less give one of them a crest) neither would be able to protect themselves from Zouken Matou. Going to the Supervisor would be meaningless; she too was still a child, and bound by the laws of their kind to surrender Sakura to the Matou Clan. Even worse was that Kotomine Kirei was not only alive but also the Supervisor's guardian; he would undoubtedly take great pleasure in crushing Kiritsugu's hopes to protect Sakura.

That didn't mean the two were ignorant as magi. Repairing Sakura had reawakened her interest in magic, and awakened Shiro's own, and as such Kiritsugu had been obliged to teach them both magic. Sakura had forty high-quality magic circuits, and her origin was 'spirit', giving her an affinity for summoning and controlling spirits and similar beings. And while she lacked an elemental affinity, she possessed the sorcery trait 'imaginary numbers' allowing her to use the sixth imaginary element.

Shiro on the hand, only had twenty-seven good-quality magic circuits. What was interesting about him was that his origin and elemental affinity were aligned to a single concept: 'sword'. As fortune had it, this fit in well with the only form of magic Kiritsugu could teach them – as by the time he had started their magical education most of his circuits had already atrophied – projection and reinforcement. Kiritsugu quickly realized that Shiro had the potential to push projection to a level close to that of true magic. True, his projections would still be one level less than originals, but with reinforcement magic, imagination, and sheer determination the boy might one day become a fine magus worthy of respect…and more importantly have both the power and influence to protect his sister.

Sakura's case on the other hand was most problematic. Projection for her would only be useful as an exercise in shaping and building up her prana, and while reinforcement had many uses, Kiritsugu doubted it would be of much use against the ancient magus that led the Matou Clan. He hated making this decision, but he had no choice. He had to send Sakura abroad to keep her safe, and have someone teach her how to use modern weaponry – the weakness of most modern magi – so when she came home she would be able to protect herself from and perhaps even cull that monstrosity from the face of the Earth.

* * *

"When I was a child…" Kiritsugu said to Shiro as they looked up at the Moon while sitting on the veranda. "…I dreamed of someday becoming a hero of justice."

"Why did you give up?" Shiro asked and Kiritsugu smiled sadly.

"When you save someone, it also means you failed to save someone else." The dying man explained to his stepson. "Have you ever wondered how many others there might have lying around in those ruins? When I saved you and Sakura, I might as well have left them to die."

"That's alright." Shiro finally said after several moments. "Since you couldn't become a hero, I'll become one for you. Then Sakura can come home, and we can be together again."

Kiritsugu just smiled indulgently. It'd been a year now since he'd sent Sakura to another country to be in the care of some of his old friends, a bunch of mercenaries who called themselves the Wild Geese. Contact had been sporadic, but from what Pip said in his letters, Sakura was quite adept in weapons use…all to Kiritsugu's regret. All in all, Sakura was gaining the power to protect herself and perhaps even become a 'hero', but the price she would pay, coating her hands in blood…it was just another example of his failures in striving to become a hero of justice.

"Alright then…" Kiritsugu whispered, bowing his head as he felt death's embrace begin to overcome him. "…I'll leave it all to you. Become a hero of justice, and protect your sister and everything and everyone you hold dear. Until we meet again…farewell…" And with a sad yet content smile Kiritsugu Emiya died in the moonlight, having passed on his ideals, his dreams and wishes to his son, who looked on tearfully as Kiritsugu closed his eyes and left the world.

* * *

Aircraft flew overhead, bombs exploding on the ground behind them. Tanks and other armoured vehicles ground their way into the African city as troops poured across the streets and engaged the dictatorial forces. Meanwhile in the suburbs a group of mercenaries were trying to keep themselves alive as they bunkered down in the ruins as a handful of AFVs from the UN Coalition pinned them down with a sustained and withering onslaught of fire.

"That enemy commander is fucked up!" one of the mercenaries commented crassly. "I bet he's got six sisters and three wives, and he fucks them all each night!"

"That's not all!" another mercenary cut in. "I bet those sisters and wives of his are all minors, and he also fucks their mothers!"

This set all the mercenaries off in a storm of laughter out of context with their situation, until the only female in their group piped up over the communication line. "You are all a bunch of fucking morons, do you know that?"

"Oh come on flower girl…" Captain Pip Bernadotte commented while reloading his rifle. "…can't you take the joke with the rest of us?" It was all a jest of course. Sakura Emiya had been one of them for five years now, and while physically she was off-limits, that didn't mean the Wild Geese didn't rub their mentality off on her as they fought together.

"I got this." She replied, and then the three AFVs began to explode one after another.

"Nice shooting flower girl." One of the mercenaries commented with an appreciative whistle, while the others imagined the female sniper smirking at the complement.

"Now that machine gun post that's being set up over there…" she said over the line. "…that's a bit more challenging."

"You got them." Pip said as a matter of fact after a moment and the others chuckled.

"…naturally."

The playful banter was about to start up all over again when Pip raised a hand for silence while raising a finger up to the speaker in his ear. "The palace is gone…" he finally said, hefting his rifle. "…I say it's high time we went and get the hell out of here, wouldn't you agree?"

"Hell yeah…!"

"Let's blow this joint!"

"Where are we going to?"

"I don't know yet, but I'll figure something out." Pip said. "Why don't we all go and relax somewhere for a while? We've been paid for this job already and I'm all set for some R 'n R."

"…sounds good to me."

"Hear hear…"

"Sorry boys but I've got family business in Japan to attend to." Sakura said, while sniping and taking down a chopper before it could close to firing range, watching dispassionately as the ball of fire crashed into the ground.

"Is that right?" Pip commented. "Then pass on our complements to your old man."

"…dad's been dead for five years."

"Oh…I mean…"

"Relax, I know you meant well." Sakura said, briefly glancing at her newly-manifested command spells while packing up her OSV-96 sniper rifle. "I'll pass on your complements at his grave."

"Alright then…" Pip said, glancing around his cover and preparing to make a run for it. "…let's get to the airport. You with us flower girl?"

"I'm insulted that you think I'm just going to ditch you guys and run off on my own." Sakura growled as she ran up to join them while carrying an AK-74 and with her sniper rifle stowed across her back, but her mismatched eyes glittered with amusement. "I'm hanging out with you guys until we can get somewhere safe and I can catch a civilian plane to Japan."

"What about the rest of your gear?" a mercenary asked as the Wild Geese began to hightail their way across the ruins and out of the city.

"…the usual."

"Ha…" Pip laughed shortly as they ran. "…and if your business isn't over once our little vacation is over, we'll run over to Fuyuki to lend you a hand. That's not a problem is it Emiya?"

"I'm looking forward to it." She said with a smirk, and the Wild Geese laughed with approval.

* * *

He dreamed of swords. He always dreamed one of two things; either it was an endless plain studded with swords and other bladed weapons that stretched all the way to the horizon under the dawn, or he would dream of walking across the burning ruins of ten years ago. Naturally, Shiro Emiya preferred the former over the latter. And as always, those endless plains faded away into blackness, save for the blurred image of a single beautiful sword…

All of a sudden Shiro Emiya sat up wet and spluttering on the storehouse floor, his girlfriend Rin Tohsaka standing next to him with an empty bucket of water. "Rin…" he sputtered. "…what the hell? It's cold!"

"Of course it's cold." She said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It woke you up didn't it? Hurry up and take a bath while I make breakfast. Fujimura-sensei's being troublesome."

Grumbling, the wet and definitely awake Emiya stalked off to the shower to clean up. Around fifteen minutes later he was sitting around the dining table with Rin and his legal guardian Fujimura Taiga. "Tohsaka-san I'm so sorry for you." The fiery teacher was saying to Rin, ignoring Shiro's reproachful glare. "You have to wake him up every day and you also make breakfast and dinner too."

"I don't mind." Rin replied. "It's not like I've got anything better to do."

"Even so…"

And as usual around thirty minutes later the teacher was running off to school all the while shouting about tests she forgot to grade or some other nonsense. "Rin…" Shiro asked while the two of them were washing the dishes. "…those so-called gas leaks, they're…"

"Yeah, it's a Master." She replied shortly to her apprentice. "You should hurry and summon a Servant soon Shiro. You already have the command spells don't you? At this rate you might end up a target."

"Alright, alright, I get it."

* * *

Around the middle of the day a motorcycle drove up to the Emiya Estate and a ponytailed woman got off. "Home sweet home, huh?" Sakura commented sourly. "This city stinks of blood…it feels like I never left the battlefield at all."

Unlocking the front gate – all the while grumbling about her brother's idiocy in still using the same lock from six years ago – she pulled her motorcycle in and tied it up near the front door. Looking around, she felt something was different. It took a while but she finally realized what it was: the bounded fields around the Estate were now more powerful than before, which meant that either her brother had learned more from their father before he had died – unlikely but not impossible – or he had found himself a teacher. The latter could be troublesome, and she found herself checking her sidearm just in case.

Thankfully her room was still where it was, with all her things in the right spot. It was even clean, which meant that her brother was still her brother, the lovable idiot. About an hour later the truck carrying the rest of her gear had arrived, and she immediately stored the crates in the storehouse. Funny, there was much more than she usually had…until she read a letter from Pip telling her that he sent along some heavier stuff in case she needed more punch that she usually needed. No kill like overkill indeed.

* * *

As evening fell Rin Tohsaka hummed a tune to herself as she walked up the street to the Emiya Estate, already wondering about what to cook for dinner and how much considering that freeloading teacher. Oh well…the first intimation that something was wrong or rather different was the fact that the front gate was unlocked. Strange, she thought that Shiro had locked it earlier when they left. Oh well, he probably just forgot to do it today.

The second intimation was the motorcycle parked near the front door. Suspicious, she immediately checked in on the bounded fields, but relaxed when they responded in the negative for any intruders. Fujimura-sensei had probably passed by earlier and left her motorcycle before doing some last minute business prior to dinner.

All in all, it can be said that despite being a genius Rin can be forgiven for not physically checking if anyone other than her was in the manor considering that as a magus she had learned to trust in her bounded fields more so than in her own senses. The primary bounded field erected by Kiritsugu Emiya wasn't so bad by itself, but the secondary ones she had erected were quite formidable. Unfortunately for her, they used Kiritsugu's bounded field as their core system, and with Sakura already keyed in to that bounded field as a friendly, even the secondaries would never consider her as an intruder. As such Rin failed to realize that in a usually unused room, a certain young woman was sleeping off her jet lag.

* * *

"Really now…" Taiga complained as Shiro finally joined them for dinner. "…children aren't supposed to come home so late you know."

"I was busy with my job." Shiro protested, but that if anything only served to provoke the older woman.

"You were doing someone else's job again, weren't you?" Taiga grumbled. "Shiro didn't we talk about that already?"

"As much as I hate to criticize you Shiro…" Rin began sweetly and causing Shiro to roll his eyes at the statement. "…don't you think that coming home late for dinner is going too far?"

"Look I was just…" Shiro began to say when the door opposite him slid open.

"Oh we have guests tonight." Sakura said as she yawned, her appearance causing Rin's eyes to bulge and Taiga's jaw to drop open in surprise.

"Oh hey sis…" Shiro said, quickly recovering from his surprise at the sight of his step-sister as she walked over to join them for dinner. "…welcome home, though you could have called you know."

"Huh?" Taiga managed to stammer out looking at Shiro in surprise.

"Sister…!" Rin thundered in outrage. How the hell did her sister – who was supposed to be missing and being searched for by the Matou Clan – end up being her boyfriend's step-sister?

* * *

A/N

Yeah, basically the premise here is that Kiritsugu saves and adopts both Shiro and Sakura. I know it's a bit…immoral to make Sakura a child soldier, but I'm sure that the Magus Killer would probably find it the only sure means of keeping her safe from Zouken Matou. Zouken is tough, but a flamethrower used properly would leave him a messy puddle of ooze on the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

Purple and Black

Chapter 2: Siblings

"Don't tell me you've forgotten about me Fujimura-san?" Sakura asked in apparent surprise, her mismatched eyes briefly flickering over her brother…and much to Rin's irritation, never to herself. "Well then I suppose some introductions are in order…"

"Oh sorry…" Taiga suddenly apologized looking sheepish. "…I didn't recognize you since it's been so long. Wow Sakura-chan, you really grew up well."

"Oh I'm glad you remembered then." Sakura commented, gratefully taking the bowl of rice offered by her brother. "Thanks bro."

"No problem Sakura." Shiro said, deliberately refusing to look at a neutral faced Rin. He was well aware of the relationship between the girls, and inwardly was sweating at the current situation. If things went south, he'd be caught between a rock and a hard place as he'd be forced to choose between his sister and his girlfriend.

And naturally, things went south the moment dinner came to an end – which was rather awkward as Sakura just ignored Rin and focused all her attentions on successfully engaging Shiro in conversation – as while Shiro was clearing the dinner table Sakura gave Rin a look over with her eyes flashing with mischief. "So this is your girlfriend bro?" she commented in a disappointed tone. "You could do so much better."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Rin asked, an eyebrow twitching.

"Precisely what I said..." Sakura answered. "…I assume you're about the same age as my brother, but despite being a year older than me I actually have a better figure than you."

"W-what…?"

"Oh come on. Don't tell me you can't tell that my breasts are bigger than yours."

The comment delivered in an offhand fashion immediately set Rin off as she began to splutter protests and invectives while Sakura just laughed uproariously at her expense. This naturally just further provoked the other girl, forcing Taiga and Shiro to literally restrain the outraged magus from physically assaulting the laughing woman. "Now, now, calm down…um…" Sakura paused as her eyes went cold and hard as gemstones. "…who are you again?"

Rin immediately calmed down, her face expressionless but her eyes betrayed nothing but horror as Sakura all but verbally disowned her. Shiro's expression matched that of his girlfriend's, though instead of horror his eyes expressed resignation. "Oh that's right. We've been eating dinner all this time and we've forgotten about introductions." Taiga spoke up, utterly ignorant about the whole nature of things. "This is Rin Tohsaka. She's one of the top students at our school, and Shiro's girlfriend. Well, I had my doubts about her at first but she seems a fine match for our Shiro."

"I see…in that case nice to meet you Tohsaka-san." Sakura said, smiling a poisonous smile that caused Rin to wilt on the inside. "My name is Sakura Emiya. I'm Shiro's younger sister, but I've been abroad all this time."

"Sakura-chan…" Taiga continued oblivious to Sakura's emotional assault on her estranged blood sister. "…will you continuing your education while you're here?"

"Sorry but no…" Sakura said, adopting an apologetic expression. "…I'll only be here for a short while, so it might not be so economic for me to enter a school. In any case, I have an excuse letter from my guardian so there should be no legal issues should the situation come under question."

"Oh I see…" Taiga said, looking thoughtful for a moment before standing up. "…normally I'd stay a little longer but Shiro and his sister have some things to catch up on. Tohsaka-san, let's go."

"Huh…but…!"

"That can wait." Taiga insisted, pulling Rin to her feet. "This is family business. Seriously, for someone from an old family, you should know when to give ground to other's family matters."

"I'll see you out then." Shiro said, standing up and walking with them to the front door. Sakura in the meantime finished clearing the table. By the time Shiro came back she was already starting on the dishes. "Sakura…" he said after a resigned sigh. "…you shouldn't be so harsh on her. It wasn't her…"

"Sorry bro…" Sakura interrupted her brother coldly. "…there are some things in the world which simply cannot be forgiven or forgotten. What happened to me…what they did to me…I can't let it go."

"But…!"

"Don't worry bro." she said, looking over a shoulder and flashing him a smile. "I won't kill her out of revenge. If I did, I'd become just like her and her parents."

Shiro just looked at her sadly before turning away. "Alright then…" he finally said. "…I'll leave cleaning up to you."

"…will do." She responded while waving a hand in the air as Shiro walked away.

"_You only said you wouldn't kill her out of revenge._" Shiro thought to himself sadly as he walked to his room. "_But you never said you wouldn't actually kill her. But if you do that…_" Shiro punched the wall angrily as he realized that despite every memory he had made with Rin, when it came down to it he found himself conflicted between her and his sister. They might not have the same blood, but the bond between them…was that really something he could break so easily? Would he betray her as well, just like Rin and their parents had betrayed her so long ago?

"Damn it all…"

* * *

Sakura breathed heavily as she knelt in a shadowed portion of a park a good distance away from the Emiya Estate, wearing what might be expected from someone not wanting to be seen at night: a dark blue shirt, camouflage-pattern utility pants, and black combat boots. An AK-74 and her prized OSV-96 were both holstered on her back, along with a pair of SIG-Sauer P226s on her waist. A Colt Single Action Army and a Ka-Bar holstered in boot holsters rounded out her equipment…not including spare ammo, wire, grenades and other utilities she carried on her person. Her hair had been tied back into a long pony tail that trailed down her back.

Then she smirked as she saw the shadowed figure that had materialized in the summoning circle just moments ago step forward into the weak moonlight…then gasped in surprise as her eyes widened in recognition. He was older and looked…different but she knew him.

"Congratulations Master…" Archer said with his usual smile. "…you have summoned the Servant Archer to stand by your side."

"B-brother…is that really you?"

Archer blinked, and then blinked some more as Sakura stepped forward to hold his face in both her hands as she examined his face closely; though now that he had the chance to see her up close, she did somehow seem familiar. "I don't believe it." She finally said, her voice filled with a mix of shock and awe. And then she began to laugh, palming her face with one hand. "You actually did it! You became a hero Shiro!"

"Well actually…"

"Or perhaps not…" she interrupted, her laughter coming to a halt as she looked at him with a measuring expression. "…if you don't recognize me, then it's either you forgot about me – unlikely but not impossible – or you're an alternate universe version of my brother."

"The latter is probably the answer." Archer commented with a nod. "I never had a sister in life." Which wasn't exactly true given Illya and all that…but she didn't need to know that.

"I see…" Sakura said, thoughtfully stroking her chin. "…in that case allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sakura Emiya, pleased to meet you Knight of the Bow."

Archer's eyes bulged at her name, and looking her over a second time several things he had noticed just moments ago – her mismatched eyes, the purple streaks in her hair, and her tantalizingly familiar features – all clicked together. "Sakura…Matou…?" he whispered in shock, and Sakura raised an eyebrow in response.

"Yes, I was Sakura Matou. At least until I ran away from…that place." She said in a flat tone. "Then I nearly got myself killed in that fire from ten years ago. I was found along with my brother amongst the ruins by Kiritsugu Emiya, who then adopted me. When I was nine he sent me abroad to join some mercenary friends of his to keep me safe from the magi clans of Fuyuki. It's not really what one would call a childhood, but then again I haven't really been a child since I was five."

"I see…sorry if I caused offense."

"You didn't…but I'd rather not talk about this subject again."

"Of course…are you any good with that?" Archer said, changing the subject and giving a nod at the guns behind her.

Sakura just flashed with a smug smile. "Would you like to see a demonstration?"

"No I'm good." Archer said with a short laugh and a matching smile. Judging from her response, she probably was good with her weapons. "So what do we do now?"

"We go home." She said with a shrug. "Summoning you took a lot out of me, and I'd rather not head out while all worn out."

"That's a good idea. Well, I'm certainly glad to have such an experienced Master."

* * *

"Rin…" Shiro said, eyeing the bucket of cold water his newly-arrived girlfriend was holding. "…what's the bucket for?"

"Oh good you're awake." She replied with a smile that did absolutely nothing reassure Shiro whatsoever. "I'll start on breakfast soon, but have you seen the kettle?"

"The kettle…" Shiro wondered for a moment before giving an answer. "…oh that's right. I saw Sakura taking it to the penthouse earlier. Come to think of it…she was dressed strangely…"

* * *

"What's with all this hardware?" Archer said, appalled at the sheer amount of weapons stockpiled in the penthouse. AK-74s and M-60s leaned against one wall, while above them ammo boxes rested on wall-mounted racks. Boxes of grenades and crates of explosives were orderly stacked along another wall, while a massive crate that Sakura refused to elaborate on was stored in one out-of-the-way corner.

More weapons were laid out on a side table, all of which would be illegal even in countries with liberal gun laws. "I don't usually use most of those guns." She replied, studying the map of Fuyuki that she laid out on the main table while drinking from a coffee mug. "It's just that I'm on my own this time round, so apparently Captain Pip sent me some extra stuff in case things get nasty."

"Well, all this extra stuff he sent you is rather…excessive." Archer commented, critically eyeing a partially open box containing an M14 landmine.

Sakura snorted in response, placing a mark on the map as she did so. "We're up against magi." She said darkly. "They consider themselves as Human, although in my opinion most magi aren't all that different from a Dead Apostle. I know that all too well. Therefore in this situation I'll adopt a mentality of no kill like overkill."

"So what do you want to do now?" Archer asked, turning to face his Master.

"I'll gather just gather information for now." She replied, taking out a notepad and writing some things down before handing it to him. "Today I want you to go and buy these. Some of these require permits to buy, but as a Servant I expect you to able to acquire them regardless. I doubt if any of the enemy will attack in open daylight, so I should be safe even without you until the Sun sets. If not, then I'll just use a command spell."

Archer took a look at the note and blanched. "Sakura, I'm probably going to regret asking but what are planning to make with these?"

"Oh…" she replied, disarming herself as she smelled Rin's cooking before heading for the door. "…I'm going to be making poison gas."

"…poison gas!"

"Poison gas should be quite useful against magi. All their precious conceptual systems are as nothing if the very air they breathe rips their body apart from the inside out." She said, winking suggestively at him as she stood in the doorframe. "And of course I'll need to make an improvised delivery system; I already have a gas mask somewhere around there." Archer just palmed his face as the young woman walked off whistling tunelessly away.

* * *

"You've summoned a Servant?" Shiro asked Rin as they met up on the roof during lunchtime. Rin nodded as she finished setting up a bounded field to prevent anyone from entering the roof or eavesdropping until they were done.

"Yes I did. Rider…" she said, and a masked woman with long purple hair appeared behind her. "…allow me to introduce you to my Servant, Rider. Rider this is my apprentice and…boyfriend Shiro Emiya."

"….nice to meet you Rider." Shiro finally managed, and the Servant nodded in acknowledgement.

"I assume you will an ally of ours." Rider said quietly. "If so then it would be best if you hurried and summoned a Servant for yourself. Your sister has already done so, and apparently she has summoned one of the three Servant Knights."

"What…?"

"It's true Shiro." Rin said grimly. Breakfast earlier hadn't been as bad as dinner the previous night, Sakura refraining from delivering poisonous comments against Rin, but Rin had nonetheless felt very uneasy. It wasn't until they had left for school that she learned why, when her Servant had warned that she had sensed the presence of a Servant hanging around the other girl. "While we haven't been able to determine which of the classes Sakura has summoned, from what Rider has sensed it's one of the three knights."

"Sakura…" Shiro whispered, clenching his fists tightly in frustration.

"Do you have any idea what she might wish for?" Rin asked softly and Shiro snorted in response.

"Knowing her she'd probably wish for something tangible instead of something that would be considered worthy of a magus." Shiro replied with a sigh. "I wouldn't be surprised if she wished for enough money to live in comfort for the rest of her life, or something else along those lines."

"I see…"

"Rin…" Shiro pressed, worry evident in both his voice and on his face. "…will you kill Sakura?"

"I certainly hope not having to…" Rin finally managed, regret weighing down her words. "…but somehow I doubt she would reciprocate the sentiment. She hasn't said it out loud, but she clearly hates me for everything that happened to her in the past. And don't say it; you know as well as I do that she'd never accept any apology I'd give."

"Sakura doesn't hate you." Shiro said, and then raised his hands to forestall Rin before she could say anything. "It would be more accurate that she hates magi and anything related to them. The fact that she herself is a spell-caster is something she detests. I don't know why, but dad allowed her to retain that mind-set, even if he did teach her how to control it and not to let that belief to control her. I'm afraid…I'm afraid that at this rate Sakura and I…Sakura and the two of us Rin, will end up facing each other on opposite sides of the battlefield."

"I know that." Rin sadly agreed. "But unfortunately, that just might be what we'll end up doing in the end."

* * *

"…an invisible sword?" Sakura commented, watching the battle between Rider and Sabre against Berserker at the intersection where Rin and Shiro would separate to return to their respective homes. Not that she just watching – she was watching through her OSV-96's scope. "What an oblique ability; for someone who holds herself as a knight of honour, I'm surprised that Sabre would have such a Noble Phantasm."

"_What do we do_?" Archer asked telepathically from where he was standing atop a taller building nearby, also watching the battle while Sakura was braced against her sniper rifle on the roof of a rather tall apartment complex. The Servant already had his bow at the ready in one hand, and carried a traced Caladbolg II in his other hand, to be altered and fired when ordered to.

"We watch for now." Sakura replied firmly, focusing her scope on Illyasviel von Einzbern as she did so. "Hercules…" she hissed unhappily as Illyasviel boasted about her Servant's identity and abilities after Berserker rose up again despite apparently getting killed by having one of Rider's nail driven to the hilt into one of his eyes. "…of all Servants why did he have to be Berserker? To top things off that Noble Phantasm of his – God Hand – is quite troublesome too."

"_I'm appalled you haven't thought about the easiest way to deal with a Servant._" Archer commented and Sakura snorted.

"Of course I have." She said. "But if I did that, I'd only be sabotaging my own efforts to obtain the Holy Grail, seeing as that little girl is also the vessel for the Holy Grail. As such, I can't just kill her."

"_What about the other two Masters down there? You could easily kill them from here._"

"I'd rather not kill my own brother if I have to." Sakura replied flatly. "At worst I'll just blow off his right arm to get rid of his command spells."

"_What about Rin Tohsaka?_"

"I'll deal with her eventually. But as I would rather not alienate my brother, I'd also rather not kill her and just blow away her right arm."

Sakura smirked as she thought about what she just said. "After using Gandr earlier, I imagine that her right arm also contains part of her crest at least, and all of it at most. While I wouldn't mind preserving my brother's arm so a spiritual doctor can put it back on, I'll have to remind myself to destroy Rin's arm, preferably by burning. The thought of the anguish caused by the loss of her precious crest…fills my heart with joy."

"…_poetic aren't we?_" Archer commented with a raised eyebrow. "_And you haven't really answered my previous question: why not just deal with them now?_"

"Well for starters if I shot their arms off here and now they'd get killed by that Berserker. I prize my brother too much to see him die. Afterwards we can use those two and their Servants as bait to draw the other Master's attention away from the two of us. Once we know about the other Masters and their Servants, we'll further refine our strategy. After all: the officer who looks too far ahead trips over his own boots."

"_Well said…_" Archer said, narrowing his eyes as the tide of battle in the distance ever so slightly shifted in Berserker's favour. "_…but if you wish to keep your brother alive and happy, I would think now would be a good time to intervene._"

"Agreed…Archer, take him out."

"_Understood…_" Archer replied, altering Caladbolg II before fitting it to his bow and taking aim. A moment later and he fired, the glowing Broken Phantasm leaving a trail of light as it tore through the air and struck Berserker down in a single blow…and causing a massive explosion that tore up the entire block.

"Very nice…" Sakura complimented Archer happily as she saw the damage through her scope. "…and from the look of things my brother and his girlfriend are retreating to safety with their Servants. Berserker and his Master…ah, there they go. Well that's two lives down, eleven more to go."

"_Master, do you realize those two will get hostile once they realize that you intend to use them as bait?_"

"Of course I do; I've already prepped our base of operations. Tomorrow begin moving the equipment to the discussed location…" Sakura broke off what she was saying and quietly reinforced her bones, muscles, eyes and nerves. Then she picked up her OSV-96 and held it in a relaxed but ready fashion by her side as she stood up.

"With a single command…" she pointed out with her eyes flat. "…Archer can be by my side in an instant."

"My, my…" a gravelly voice commented as a swarm of insects blotted out the moonlight and began to coalesce into a humanoid figure atop the stairwell. "…is that any way to greet your dear grandfather?"

"Fuck you, you worthless son of a bitch." Sakura spat, her command spells fading as Archer arrived and took up a protective stance between her and the newly arrived magus.

"Language Sakura…" Zouken Matou chided as he looked down on the girl and her Servant. "…you don't want me to discipline you, do you now?"

"You can try…and you will die trying."

* * *

A/N

No, Kiritsugu never told Sakura or Shiro about the Grail wars. Shiro learned about them from Rin, while Sakura learned about it from Kariya when she still with the Matou Clan.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

Purple and Black

Chapter 3: The Third Party

Zouken just laughed at Sakura's bravado. "Come now child." He said in a grandfatherly tone. "Do you really think I have no countermeasures against Servants? Or for that matter do you really believe that a mediocre spell-caster such as you could kill me?"

"You certainly love the sound of your own voice, don't you?" Sakura shot back, and Zouken glared at her. "Haven't you heard of an 'ace in the sleeve'? I have quite a few, don't you know?"

"Perhaps you're not as weak as I thought as I first believed." Zouken conceded grudgingly. "But nevertheless Sakura, this little rebellion of yours is at an end. Surrender and perhaps your precious brother might not have to deal with my…displeasure."

"…blackmail? How pathetic…especially seeing as the way you do it has absolutely no class whatsoever. This conversation is over." Sakura replied shortly before firing her OSV-96 from the hip, the anti-materiel round punching a large hole clean through the ancient magus' torso. At the same time, she used the recoil to propel herself backwards, somersaulting off of the rooftop…while tossing a reinforced grenade towards the enraged magus. Within moments, not just the rooftop, but the entire upper three floors vanished in a massive explosion.

Sakura smirked as she saw the explosion while she fell headfirst towards the ground. It probably wouldn't kill the bastard – at least not permanently – but it would get him out of her hair for now, the familiars making up that body incinerated by the magically-enhanced blast. "Archer…" she said in a slightly annoyed tone. "…if it's not too much trouble…"

Shortly before fatally striking the ground, Sakura slowed as her Servant caught her and gently set her down. "Thanks…" she told the invisible Servant. "…now let's get out of here before the cops arrive." The young woman ran quietly but quickly away from the apartment complex, making her to and through the back alleys and service roads.

"_That was rather dangerous and reckless._" Archer commented silently. "_What about the people in that apartment?"_

"Haven't you heard the phrase: collateral damage?" she replied flatly and Archer raised an eyebrow in surprise at her apparent lack of concern for Human life. Well it wasn't like he could talk about that himself so he let the matter go.

"_What was that explosion back there?_"

"Oh that…?" Sakura replied quietly while running through the shadows. "That was a reinforced grenade. Back when I was ten or so, I discovered that reinforcing modern chemical explosives is very, very effective. It's not really my style you know, such brute force methods, but I have to admit they are effective. I must also admit to a certain amount of satisfaction or even pleasure at the sight of magically-enhanced explosives taking down targets they would not otherwise be able to take down at such amounts. Ah…I remember back when I was thirteen and I reinforced several litres of nitro-glycerine..."

"_Alright I get the point!_" Archer replied, appalled that his Master had such a destructive streak. In life he had made use of a wide variety of weapons, and had seen many things, but he'd never tried to combine technology and magecraft in the same way Kiritsugu did. Apparently though, this incarnation of Sakura did so, and then took it up to the next level…or perhaps even several levels. He was well aware of the destructive power of nitro-glycerine and modern chemical explosives, but he had never expected or suspected that a mere hand grenade reinforced would cause such devastation. He shuddered further at the idea of using reinforcement on nitro-glycerine. "_I certainly hope that's not all you've got against that walking corpse. If it is, I'd say you're underestimating him very dangerously._"

"Of course it isn't my only ace." She replied, hiding behind a corner as several police cars and an ambulance passed by. Once they were out of sight she crossed the street and briskly walked back into the shadows. "True, dad only taught me projection and reinforcement in practical, but in theory I learned everything about the basics of magecraft. At the risk of sounding like a braggart I must say as a spell-caster my foundation is very strong. Combine that with modern weaponry and my spells of last resort and I actually surpass Tohsaka." She paused then carried on, smiling mischievously and with utter satisfaction. "Technically even without magecraft I already do. I've said it before and I'll say it again: my breasts are bigger than hers."

Had Archer been tangible his laughter would probably have woken the dead, as he knew that if Rin were ever to hear that the resulting tantrum would probably put the 'Tiger of Fuyuki' to shame. "_Okay, that was good. And once again I'll probably regret asking this but what are those spells of last resort of yours?_"

"The Mages Association likes to think that they've got a complete monopoly on occult knowledge and that their Enforcers are flawless when it comes to hunting down and sealing forbidden or ancient knowledge." Sakura replied quietly, her mismatched eyes cold and hard. Archer swallowed, suspecting that the girl had some very dangerous spells in her repertoire. Sealed spells were usually quite potent after all. "The truth is that in the underworld, if you know where or who to look from, and with the right amount of cold cash, you can find and buy just about anything. The Wild Geese aren't just dangerously skilled mercenaries. We have a reputation both as individuals and as a group of being willing to and capable of taking any job. Most magi and the Holy Church wouldn't sink so low as to hire people like us…but the Ancestors are different."

"_You were hired by a Dead Apostle Ancestor?_" Archer asked in disbelief, and Sakura shrugged before giving a reply.

"When Dead Apostles need muscle that won't draw attention from their enemies, mercenaries are always the best choice. Most of them think we're the 'purest' among the Humans, since so long as we get paid, then we'll do what's asked of us. Sure, most people would consider us honourless scum fighting without the benefit of a higher calling…but in reality that's just the way the world is. We survive, and that's what matters. And they respect that about us. They respect that they we know the reality."

"_Who hired you_?"

"We got hired by the Fourteenth Ancestor, Van Fem. Apparently some idiotic crime lord refused to pay his debts, claiming the interests were 'too much'. Well Van Fem wanted his money and the idiot's head, but he also didn't want to draw unwanted attention to himself. So we did the job we were hired for. But Van Fem sensed something…different about me. He said it was a shame to waste my potential, and that he wanted to give me something after warning me that Ortennrosse and some of his clique would be very displeased if they discovered what I possessed. Regardless I accepted his challenge and he gave me the name of one of his contacts – a Human information broker – and a letter of introduction. Let's just say that it led me to a certain book, a book which the Association believes has either been destroyed or is kept locked up in the Vatican Archives: the Necronomicon."

"_Wait a minute are you saying you have the forbidden book of Abdul Alhazred?_"

"I don't just have it…I've read it!" she said with a chilling smile. "The names and powers of demons and gods that surpass even the Crimson Moon itself…the means by which they may be summoned or invoked…don't worry; as I said it's a last resort. I've no intention of actually raising the Dead City or unleashing unspeakable horrors that would make the White Dog look like an overactive puppy on the world."

"_But you can use the spells in the book?_" Archer pressed.

"Yes I can." Sakura replied. "I haven't summoned a familiar – and not the puppets the magi use – or dedicated myself to one of the Outer Gods despite knowing how so don't worry about that, but if need be I can summon a few or maybe not so few demons to make our enemies pause for thought."

"_I hope you know what you're doing Sakura._"

"I hope so too. And I certainly hope I won't have to summon those things at all."

* * *

Unknown to the young woman walking home, a camouflaged UAV was keeping an eye on her all this time. In a hotel room in high Fuyuki, three men in business attire were overseeing the drone's operation and looking over her personality profile. One of them nodded in satisfaction before making a decision. "I will contact Cronus Installation." He said. "Maintain surveillance."

"Understood…"

The leader of the three now walked over to a nearby table and opened a reinforced case, exposing a compact satellite communications system. Checking the encryption protocols, he set up the device before activating the line. "This is Jean-One. Security Code is: the she-wolf prowls under the stars among the trees."

"Ah Jean-One…" a cultured and urbane voice replied after several moments as the security code and his encryption protocols were checked, then double-checked, and finally triple-checked. "…what is the situation with young Emiya?"

"Surveillance along with the provided personality profile and additional data all indicate that she will most likely be open to the idea of accepting a contract with us, and may perhaps even be open to the idea of long-term cooperation."

There was silence for several moments, and the man imagined his employer drinking his scotch and smoking a cigarette while thinking over the situation. "Very well…" the response finally arrived. "…I'll authorize you making contact to arrange a face-to-face meeting to discuss contractual operations and the possibility of long-term arrangements with our organization. Feel free to provide further information regarding the Grail War, but only provide rudimentary information about our organization."

"I understand sir." The man replied, understanding the reason behind the last instruction. Giving away too much information would only make the girl suspicious and distance her, while giving basic information would make her curious and might actually impress her about the way their organization was run. In any case, considering her data she would most likely be very receptive to their organization…even if she did have to prove her worth first.

"Be polite mind…" his boss cautioned him gently. "…don't forget that for all her past and mind-set she is still a child. That will impact her thought process. Feel free to capitalize on her personality traits, but do so in a manner that will flatter her and make her believe that we are acting in her best interests."

"With all due respect sir she will most likely see through our ruse."

"Of course she will." the reply came in a satisfied tone. "We would not be approaching her in such a manner if I did not believe her capable of doing so. In fact, our approach will actually plant the seeds of further cooperation. We just need to get her acquainted with us and our goals first, and once she begins to truly trust us, any further information and assistance would just make push her in our direction. When this is all over, I have every expectation that she will make a willing and useful addition to our organization."

* * *

Rin Tohsaka groaned and woke up as another woman shouted irritably somewhere else in the house. That much she was aware of at once. She then became aware that she was naked, that she was in Shiro's bed, and that he was naked too. And apparently something was prodding into her lower back. Pushing away any lustful thoughts (she was quite satisfied after such a stressful night), she opened her eyes and squinted at the light filtering through the paper doors. Looking around her she quickly put on her panties and Shiro's shirt before leaving through the room to quiet down her estranged sister: it was much too early for her to wake up and more importantly much too early for that much noise in the house.

"Let me get this straight…" Sakura said crossly over the phone, wearing casual attire with her hair wet from the shower. "…you bet all your savings – amounting to around a million pounds sterling – equivalent to approximately sixteen million US dollars – on a roulette match – and struck it big?"

"…pretty much." Pip replied happily as he sat at a high stakes poker table in a casino in Monaco. "And while I've lost some of my bets, thus far I've managed to keep myself presentable while on vacation here."

"Have you gone completely insane?" Sakura shouted into the receiver, causing an eavesdropping pair of Servants to cringe back. "There's nothing wrong with gambling per se, but don't you think a bit of prudence is appropriate?"

"Oh come on?" Pip replied flippantly. "What's life without a bit of risk?"

"Yeah, risk my ass." Sakura snapped back, a vein throbbing in her forehead. "If anything goes wrong you're going to end up as a beggar, or worse, neck-deep in debt!"

"What's with all this shouting so early in the morning?" Rin asked crossly, appearing from around a corner and drawing the surprised attention of everyone present. Archer reddened slightly – not that it was very noticeable – and so did Rider at the sight of the young girl with her hair down in a messy fashion and wearing only her panties and Shiro's shirt. Apparently the night was quite torrid.

Sakura just stared open-mouthed at her sister's appearance and took in what she was wearing. "…something's come up." She said after a moment. "I'll call you back captain."

"…will do." The intrepid Frenchman replied before flipping his phone shut and stowing it into his new and very expensive coat.

"…full house." One of his opponents said triumphantly, presenting his hand and causing most of the other players to groan in disappointment while the audience murmured amongst themselves.

"…not so fast…" Pip said triumphantly as his opponent moved to claim the stacked chips on the table. Then he presented his hand. "…royal flush." And then he collected his winnings to the amused applause of the audience.

_Meanwhile back in Japan…_

"You know…" Sakura pointed out in a neutral tone as she put the phone down in a deceptively calm fashion. "…this is my house, so I can be as noisy as I want to be. But more importantly…"

In an instant the younger woman was next to Rin with an arm draped around the older girl's shoulders, leaving the two Servants present blinking at how fast she could move. "That was fast." Rider commented deadpan.

"I agree." Archer noted in a similar tone.

"…how is he?" Sakura asked with a Cheshire grin which caused Rin to turn bright red. "Come on, just tell us already."

"You can't seriously be expecting me to answer that question!" Rin spluttered out.

"Oh and why not?" Sakura pressed, clearly intrigued and drawn in by Rin's embarrassment and refusal to answer her. "How big is he? Does he feel…well…you know? Don't worry we won't tell. Isn't that right you two?" she asked grinning over a shoulder and all but promising bloody murder if they don't play along.

"Uh…yeah, we won't tell anyone." Archer said, exasperated.

"My lips are sealed." Rider said with her cheeks pink in embarrassment.

"Well, it's not like I've got anyone to compare him to…" Rin finally replied in a whisper, her face beet-red and her index fingers poking at each other.

"…okay…does he do it inside you?" Sakura continued with her grin unbroken as she continued to pry into her sister's sex life. "Does he make you orgasm?

"…y-yes he does…to both questions." The older girl replied in a whisper before giving an embarrassed squeal and running off to the shower. Sakura collapsed laughing to the floor and Archer coughed deliberately to recover his stoic composure while Rider stalked off to see if her Master was alright.

"Hey what's going on here?" Shiro asked as walked into the corridor wearing only his pants. "And why are you laughing on the floor Sakura?"

Sakura just laughed harder, and an amused Archer walked up to his younger counterpart and placed a congratulatory hand on his shoulder. "My friend…" the tanned man told the suspicious kid in all seriousness. "…I congratulate you on apparently being able to satisfy that girl in bed."

"What…wait a minute…Sakura you didn't…!" Shiro spluttered aghast at his sister, his face also turning red. This time it wasn't just Sakura who broke out in fresh peals of laughter, but Archer also doubled over laughing.

"Just make sure you don't get her pregnant!" Sakura told him between laughs before shouting down the hallway "Way to go sis! Looks like you aren't an ice cube like your parents were!" Then she laughed some more at the indignant shout from the shower.

"…Shiro!" Sabre shouted as she ran into the hallway from her room where she had been sleeping, appalled that she hadn't woken the moment a third Servant entered the property – not realizing of course (like Rin before her) that the bounded fields around the property would never recognize Sakura as an enemy. "There's another Servant here…" she broke off at the sight of the new Master and Servant laughing like madmen before her while her Master blushed while dressed only in his pants. "…Master why are you…and why are they…I'm guessing that you're Shiro's sister?"

"That's right." Sakura replied, struggling to stand while holding her side in pain from laughing too much and Archer wiped a tear from the corner of an eye. "That's my Servant Archer. Well, I suppose you should know I don't intend to kill my brother or his girlfriend, although that doesn't mean I don't intend to fight. I just don't intend to fight them now or in the near future."

"Well, I suppose I can accept that." Sabre said cautiously as the other girl ran a hand through her hair.

"Good for you…" Sakura said, heading off to the kitchen. "…now if you don't mind, I'll go make some breakfast. Let's see bacon, eggs, bread, pancakes…Archer come and help me if you please. Oh and bro, go get a cold shower…or you can join my sister for a…how do they call it, a quickie?"

Shiro just spluttered incoherently at the last suggestion while Sabre blushed; normally such crass behaviour would have merited a verbal reprimand but after what she heard last night in the adjoining room…her musing broke off as the front door slammed open and Fujimura Taiga appeared in the doorway.

"Shiro I came to eat!" she shouted as usual…and then she spotted her ward walking around half-naked.

"Shiro, why are you walking around wearing only your pants? And in front of Sabre-chan too! I didn't bring you up like this! Shiro…!"

"Wait Fuji-nee…!"

"It looks like he's in trouble." Sakura commented deadpan as she peeled and cut apples to go with the Western-style breakfast they were preparing.

"It certainly seems that way." Archer agreed deadpan, looking…very distinguished wearing a floral apron (not that he really cared of course). Then he glanced at Sakura from the corner of his eye. She met his glance. Then they began to laugh…again.

* * *

A/N

Hmm…not sure if the comedy at the end was too much or too dirty…

Anyway I needed it to balance the part where Sakura blows up part of an inhabited apartment complex (yes people died) just to get away from Zouken. Let me make this clear: SAKURA is broken, much like her canon self. Or for that matter, like her father, Kirei, or even Kiritsugu, albeit for different reasons. Canon Sakura is broken because she loves Shiro but knows that she cannot be with him (as happens in Fate, UBW, and HF Normal End) except after much carnage and suffering in HF True End.

SAKURA however is broken in the sense that she cannot believe in an ideal. For her the people around her make things a little warmer, but ultimately reality is cold, harsh, and cruel, and she knows that for a fact. This makes her amoral (similar to but not identical to Gilgamesh or Alexander) in outlook and somewhat indifferent regarding her actions in pursuit of a goal. That's also how she was able to read the Necronomicon without going insane; for her the idea that there are beings out there that are neither good or evil and simply are is not so incomprehensible as it would seem to normal people.

As for who the 'third party' mentioned in the title (and watching Sakura's movements), have you ever heard of a guy named Tim?


End file.
